In a recent videolink with the UN General Assembly, President Xi Jinping stated that China will aim to hit peak emissions before 2030 and to be carbon neutral by 2060. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic, global climate negotiations have been hindered. This includes the delaying of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) to November 2021, which will be held in Glasgow at the Scottish Event Campus. Therefore, a statement this bold from China, a country that plays a huge role in total global emissions, comes as a huge surprise.
Many agree that this is a significant step, including Richard Black, director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, who said to the BBC that “China isn't just the world's biggest emitter, but the biggest energy financier and biggest market, so its decisions play a major role in shaping how the rest of the world progresses with its transition away from the fossil fuels that cause climate change."
Even though Mr Xi did not establish what he exactly meant by carbon neutrality, or what actions the country will take to get there, everyone can agree that this is a step in the right direction.
Written by Jasmine St Pier
Artwork by Zara Masood
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